Teen driver deaths spiked in 2012

By Eric M. Johnson, Reuters

Posted:
02/26/2013 02:57:37 PM MST

Updated:
02/26/2013 03:01:43 PM MST

Teen driving deaths in the United States
increased in the first six months of last year, further eroding
a decade-long reduction, possibly as a result of more accidents
caused by texting and talking behind the wheel, state highway
officials said on Tuesday.

Deaths of drivers ages 16 and 17 increased roughly 19
percent, to 240 in the first six months of 2012 compared with
the same period in 2011, according to a study by the Governors
Highway Safety Association.

Officials who compiled the report said the improving economy
has put more teens behind the wheel, but use of mobile devices
to text and talk while driving is a likely cause of more
accidents and fatalities.

Dylan Young, 18, poses as a vehicle cruises by, June 6, 2012, in North Arlington, N.J. Young, a senior at North Arlington High, was in a fender-bender accident caused by being distracted while texting and driving. (Julio Cortez/AP Photo)

The increases came after 16-year-old driver deaths dropped
by nearly two-thirds, to 157, between 2000 and 2010. Fatalities
of 17-year-old drivers were cut by more than half in the same
period, to 253, the data showed. But the downward trend ended in
2011.

"Teen drivers are not only a danger to themselves, but also
a danger to others on the roadways. So these numbers are a cause
for concern," said association Chairman Kendell Poole.

The numbers, while preliminary, were still better overall
than in the previous five to 10 years, a spokesman for the
group said.

Decreases in driver deaths from 2003 to 2010 have been
attributed to states' new and strengthened graduated driving
laws that placed restrictions on inexperienced drivers.

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But those laws, some of which were introduced in the 1990s,
need to be revised to meet with changes in technology, said
spokesman Jonathan Adkins. He said all states should ban cell
phone use for new drivers, limit passengers per car and keep
teens off the road at night, among other restrictions.

"This isn't some mystery illness," Adkins said.

States should also work to increase the role parents play in
enforcing safe driving practices, officials said.

Among specific age groups, deaths of 16-year-old drivers
increased by 24 percent in the first half of last year, while
deaths of 17-year-old drivers rose by 15 percent, according to
preliminary data compiled across 50 U.S. states and the District
of Columbia.

Overall, 25 states reported increases in teen driving deaths
in the first half of last year, 17 had decreases, and eight
states and the District of Columbia reported no change.
(Reporting by Eric M. Johnson; Editing by Cynthia Johnston)

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